aka soul kill

I guess this 7" is deemed more interesting by the general population


Split Lip - s/t 7" - 1992 Doghouse Records DOG 009

What we have here is the first release by one of the best bands from the 90s. Their evolution as a band is really impressive. At least up to the point where they changed their name. That's when they lost me. On this single their sound is still firmly rooted within the hardcore genre. On "for the love of the wounded" they toned it down a bit. Incorporating more rock elements until they perfected that sound on "fate's got a driver". It's amazing how they managed to evolve from each record to the next always killing it.

Apparantly someone colored in a section on each the front and back cover. Does anyone know if this was done by the band for whatever reason or if some idiot was just bored? Would be nice to know even though I don't mind it at all. It actually looks pretty good and gives it a unique appeal. Like those colored Negative Approach covers. A first thought was that maybe they did that to set apart the covers for the blue vinyl but that doesn't seem to be the case as there are other blue vinyl copies that don't look like this. Until someone tells me otherwise I'll pretend that this one was sold on tour and a band member colored this in thus making it legit.

Now I own two versions of this release, with the other one being on black vinyl and also in a white cover. Does anyone know how many different versions there are exactly? I know about yellow sleeves and white vinyl for sure but wasn't there also a purple vinyl pressing? And do all the different vinyl colors come with both sleeves? Was this a one time or are these several pressings? Discogs states it's a one time pressing and only some of the white vinyl came with the yellow cover but I think I saw a black vinyl copy with the yellow cover on the internet once.

almost november

A while ago I made a trade with a friend.
He got two LPs and I got 3 LPs and 2 7"es.
Starting it off slow here is one of the larger pieces of vinyl.
Don't expect this trade to pick up to much steam though.


Shift - pathos 12" - 1994 Equal Vision Records EVR17

There are two versions out there. One is a single sided 12" that comes with a lyric sheet and the other is the one you're seeing here. As far as I know it never came with a lyric sheet but has songs on Side B too. Too bad it's exactly the same program as on Side A. Why make a difference like that? Does this make sense to anybody?

Anyway. This is one of the best post-hardcore releases I can think of. Or would you say it's emo? I can't remember the term post-hardcore being thrown around that much in the 90s. When I first obtained the CD version of this rocker I thought of it as emo and I bet a lot more kids did so too. What a shame it became such a dirty word. But it doesn't matter what category you want to put this in. Fact is you need this. Just like I want a copy with blank B-Side and lyric sheet.
I love this shit!
I even saw them live once. It was in Belgium at the Cultureel Centrum in Dilsen if I remember correct and I think Earth Crisis also played that night. Or was it 108? Or maybe all of the above? Too many good shows happened there. It became a bit of a blur. Albeit a very fond and beautiful one.

lower east side crew

Last one of the birthday bunch and just as elusive as the other 4.

War Zone - lower east side crew 7" - 1987 Revelation Records REV:1

And also just like the others from the same haul it's in perfect condition.
First press of the first release on Revelation Records. A truly historic piece of vinyl.

I really don't know what else to say about this record. I feel like it's such a classic that absolutely no one into hardcore wouldn't know about it. Then again there are 'hardcore kids' that confuse Insted with Infest and when you try to explain what kinda music Insted plays they draw blanks when you throw in Youth Of Today, Youth Crew or Revelation Records. Times are strange. 

not the wrong choice

Somehow this was not published but only saved as a draft when I initially wrote it. Hence it's now published in-between 4 and 5.
So here we go with No. 2 of the birthday haul:


Confront - payday 7" - 1991 Dark Empire Records

This just might be the hardest straight edge record ever. Cleveland really had something going in the early 90s. Die Hard, Integrity, Confront. The holy trinity of Cleveland Hardcore.
While post-hardcore was the new big thing in other places these dudes focused on the real deal. Not many bands at the time did. Especially not that good.

I've been looking for a copy of this record for many years and was never able to track one down until recently and as I'm writing this I have another version coming my way. 2014 really turned out a great year for my collection.

inside job

No. 4 and also not just recently having been added to my wantlist


Turning Point - s/t 7" - 1989 Hi-Impact Records 1

Turning Point ranks among the top 5 classic youth crew bands for me and just like with the Judge 7" I've had countless 'almost mine' experiences with it. It feels so good to finally have a first press. 3rd and 4th press black vinyl I've had for a while already. Still quite some road left ahead of me before I can close the book on this collection.

While the above pictures show what everybody is very well familiar with the next picture shows why I'm particular happy about getting exactly this copy

It has a fucked up version of the cover printed on the inside. I guess they made a few test prints for the cover and then used the backside of those to print a good version of the cover on it. The nice low number 4 kinda speaks in favor of that. So far I have never seen a picture of another copy like this. Everything I saw was all white on the inside. Except for the address and numbering stamps that is of course.

SKIZ-2

Birthday treat no. 3


Judge - new york crew 7" - 1988 Schism Records Skiz-2

I cannot count how many times i was outbid by just one person on ebay for this record. So when I saw a friend of mine was selling his collection this was the first one I wanted to get. Luckily it was around my birthday so it wasn't the only one I got.

I'm sure you know all about this record. Especially with the recently rekindled interest due to their re-union which I went to New York for with a friend. It was a great trip and so worth it even considering the fact that I could have just waited a little while longer and then see them on their short euro trip. Which I did too, of course. But having seen them on stage for the very first time after all those years was something very special. Especially because it was the first time I ever saw them. The electricity in the venue that night is something I will never forget. People still doubted them actually playing while Sammy was already setting up drums. And then Mike Judge came on stage and all hell broke loose. I'd do it all over again. The Berlin show was great too and Essen was also pretty good but they were miles from that first night at the Black'n'Blue Bowl.

brotherhood against racism

I got money for my birthday and blew it on 5 Singles. Here's the first one in alphabetical order:


Brotherhood - no tolerance for ignorance 7" - 1989 Skate Edge Records #2

So glad I finally have at least one copy of the 7".
And it's an original first press in immaculate condition.

I won't go as far out as xREGANx did with his awesome Brotherhood collection but I would like to at least have a copy of each cover variation so there are 3 more copies left to hunt down.

although a little too late maybe

On to the last record of the trade which at the same time was the last missing piece of SOM vinyl I needed.


State Of Mind - bitter times, better times 7" - 2006 Light The Fuse Records

Originally after not having been too much into their previous releases I didn't pay any attention to this record at all. Which is where I went wrong because it's another step in the right direction and therefore not to be missed from the collection. There's a great line of progression to be heard throughout their recorded history up to the latest releases where they had found their sound and were a really great and unique band. Too bad I only noticed that when they were already in the process of breaking up.

Now I do own a copy of each of their vinyl releases plus the demo tape which concludes this collection for me. I only wish they would still be playing shows. If any of the band members read this: I'm sorry for having disregarded you when I shouldn't have. It's my loss.

better late than never

The last two record of this trade are by the same band which was overlooked by many:


State Of Mind - s/t 7" - 2005 Bust Records

And I cannot even blame people for not paying enough attention to this band because at first I also didn't. Earlier in 2005 they put out their demo tape which I picked up at a show. When listening to it at home I kinda liked it because they had their own pretty unique approach. No other band at the time sounded like them. But somehow it sounded like they were not where they wanted to be although you could clearly hear what they were aiming at. I thought ok it's the demo. Maybe their next release is more consistent.

Which brings us to this release. Their first 7". Before I had the chance to pick it up in 2005 I heard it at a friend's place and unfortunately, although having improved from the demo, it wasn't yet really good so I didn't pick it up back then.
A few years later though I saw them live again and that was the point when my respect for what they were trying to do turned into an admiration for what they were actually doing. It took them quite a while to get there but boy was it worth the time it took.
All of their 3 12" releases are great which is why I had to fill the holes in my collection.

mentally vexed

No. 2 of the trade. A record I liked ever since I got the download for it but somehow have never actively pursued until it presented itself to me. Of course I gladly jumped at the opportunity


Crown Of Thornz - mentally vexed LP - 1996 Another Planet Records AP-6018-1

What's there to see about this record? Even though it's not from the 80s this is classic NYHC. SOS, SKD, MDB you know the deal. I was lucky to catch them live at the B'n'B Bowl last year which was the first time for me. I had seen Lord Ezec with Skarhead before and again he delivered. No matter what you think about the music this guy is hilarious. It's worth to go see any band he is in just for his stage banter.

To me COT is his best band. I guess it was some kind of a one off thing when I saw them live last year but if it wasn't you should go see them if you can and search out this record as well as their "juggernaut" 12". Both are awesome. Most likely that one song on the split 7" with that band Aggressive Dog, who I don't know shit about, is great too but it's not something I'm looking out for. If I'll happen to come across it I'll pick it up though. Can't hurt to have a complete Crown Of Thornz collection. Yes that's right two 12"es on black vinyl only plus a split 7" also only on black. That's it. Not a big task so if you wanna go for it I would understand